Skylight



Nov. 17, 1931. v B. P. BLASKI I 1,831,839

SKYLIGHT Se t. lO. v:1.928

Inventor @QM torngys Patented Nov. 17, 1931 BENJAMIN r. BLAsxI, or CHICAGO, `iLLnoIs sxYLIeH'r Application led September 10, 1928. Serial No. 304,912.

My invention relates to skylights and it has for its object the provision of a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by the use of which the skylight structure may be more readily built up on the job so as to be in condition for use for a long period of time. In skylight constructions heretofore, it has been customary to interpose strips of soft metal, weatherproofed felt, or other suitable material, between the edges of the sheets of glass and the bars by which such sheets have been supported., such strips being ar-v ranged so as to yield to a limited extent for compensating for anyrslight irregularities in the form of the glass or of the frame-work and for assuring such a fit of the parts as to prevent the entrance of water. In many cases, however, such strips have been broken in handling so as to cause a considerable loss if the strips were discarded or so as to result in a defective structure if'the broken parts were used. The use of such'strips, held in position merelyby the pressure vof the glass on the frames, has also been subject to objection in that the strips have in many cases become displaced so as to destroy the tightness of the joint. t' l It is the object of my invention to provide an improved construction wherein the strip is secured rigidly in position on Ithe frame bar, and to this end it is one of the objects of my invention to provide an improved form of strip by the use of which the attachment to the frame bar is facilitated. It is one-ofthe objects of my invention to providea strip formed of lead or other soft metal of such special form as to make it easily attachable to the sheet metal bar by a fusingor welding operation. y

Itis another object of my invention to ini prove deviceso this type in sundrydetails hereinafter pointed out. The 4preferred means by which I havel accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the drawings and are hereinafter speciiically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by this application is set forth in the claims.

Fig. 1 is a top face view of a skylight,

partly broken away, showing `my improved construction;

Figa 2 is a perspective view upon an enlarged scale, including a cross section taken at line 2 2 of Fig. l ;V

Fig. 8 isa horizontal section taken at line 3-18 of Fig. YI;

F ig. 4 is. a sectional view showing a fragmentary portion of a skylight frame bar with a s-trip in position thereon ready tobe secured in p'lace,`and showing also rather diagram-r matically the means employed for securing the strip to the'bar;

Fig. .5 is a cross section through a portion of the frame bar and a strip showing the strip secured in position; and j Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the strip in its completed form ready for use.` 1

Referring to the several iigures of the drawings in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters,- 10 indicates the bottom bar of a skylight construction ,connected by meansof a plurality v'oit 'bars 1l with a top bar l2 of any approved type,suchv bars together comprising a frame or sash for supporting a plurality of sheets ofl glass 1 3, the edges of adjacent pieces of glass 1 3 being disposed over the frame bars 1l, asis best shown in Fig. 2. A cap 14 in the form of a strip'of metal bent into channel formation is secured in position uponthe frame for covering the joint between adjacentpieces of glass.

VThebars lll are preferably in theform of channel members pressed from sheet metal and employed in inverted Vposition as shown in'Fi'g. 2, Vbeing provided with upturned "flanges ..151 along oppositesides adapted to serve as gutters for carrying away any water which Vmay hnd its way past the edges of the 'glass 13.

For making the joint between the edges of the glass andthe frame bars 11 tight so as to fpreventthe entrance of water,- I have prof vided'a' plurality of strips 16 which Vin the `construction shown are vformed of lead. In

located rib 17 and a plurality of other ribs 18 at opposite sides of the central rib 17, the ribs-18 being of smaller height than the rib 17 and being spaced laterally from the rib 17. At its outer face, the strip 16 is provided with a deep longitudinal groove for providing two spaced ribs 19. y f

I have found that by the provision of a centrally located rib 17 as shown in Fig.A 4, I am enabled to attach the strip 16 readily by a fusing or welding operation tothe top face of the web portion of the frame bar 11. In efforts heretofore to weld a lead strip to a frame bar, with such lead strip having a fiat bottom face, I have encountered such diliivculty as to` make the operation impractical from a commercial standpoint. I have found that in such cases it is necessary that such an amount of heat be employed for bringing the bottom face to a temperature necessary for fusing that there is exceedingly great danger that the whole bar will fuse so as to defeat the primary purpose. I have found, however, that by the use of a centrally located rib 17 of considerably smaller size than that of the bar as a whole I am enabled to bring the rib very readily to the temperature necessary for fusing without any material danger of fusing the strip as a whole. I have found also that by the provision of auxiliary ribs 18 at opposite sides of the centrally disposed rib the process of attachment by the fusing or welding operation is facilitated, the metal released by the fusing of the central rib serving to fill the grooves between the rib 17 and the ribs 18 so asvto provide a very strong joint between the strip and the bar.

I have found that such a strip as that shown in Fig. 4 can be very readily attached toone of the frame bars l1 by an electrical welding operation, the current being applied to 'the bottom face of the web of the bar by means of a roller 2O supported by a suit-able bracket 21, and the current being applied to the strip 16 by means of aA roller 22 revolubly mounted in position upon a spindle 23 directly above the roller 20, currentbeing fed to the spindle 23 and the bracket 21 from any suitable source of electrical energy. I have found that by moving a bar 11 and a strip 16 between a pair of rollers as shown in Fig. 4:, with `a suitable current being fedV to the parts as above suggested, and with suitable means being employed for pressing the roller 22Vyieldingly downward, a 'welding operation for attaching the strips 16 can be very easily and rapidly effected, leaving Vthe vstrips 16 very firmly secured in position. For use in connection vwith the strip 16 having the two spaced ribs 19, I prefer to employ a grooved roller 22 as shown, sincesuch roller assists in maintaining the shape of the strip.

After the welding operation leaving the parts in the condition as shown in lF-i'g. 5, I

prefer to run the bar and strip through a milling machine or other suitable mechanism for changing the shape of the ribs 19 by a cutting or pressing operation so as to bring the outer edges of the ribs 19 to such degree of thinness as to make the strip very effective for its purpose, having sufficient strength for supporting the glass while at the same time being made sufficiently yielding as to permit the required adjustment of the position of the parts for causing the desired tightness of the joints. While I prefer to make the edges of the ribs 19 as thin as can well be done, with such ribs formed of lead, it is to be understood that I do not limit the invention to such a degree of thinness of the edge portions of the ribs except as the same is specifically claimed, very good results being obtained by the use of the construction as shown in Fig. 5 Without the additional thinning operation. In other respects also I do not wish to restrict the invention to the details of construction as shown except so far as the claims may be so restricted by the prior art, it being evident that changes might well be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. A frame bar for a skylight comprising in combination a member pressed from sheet metal, and a strip of soft metal welded to said member and extending outwardly from its face.

2. A frame bar for a skylight comprising in combination a channel member pressed from sheet metal, and strips of soft metal welded to the outer face of the web portion of said member in spaced relation to each other adjacent to the edges respectively of the web portion of said member.

3. A strip of soft metal for attachment by welding to a metal frame bar of a skylight comprising a rib on the bottom face of ccnsi'derably smaller width than that of the body of the strip adapted to be spread and evened by the application of heat for securing the strip in position on the bar. j

4. A strip of soft metal for attachment by welding to a metal frame bar of a skylight comprising a rib in central position on the bottom face of the strip and other ribs of less height at opposite vsides of said centrally disposed rib.

5. A strip of soft metal for attachment by welding to a metal frame-bar of a skylight comprising a centrally located rib on the bottom face of the strip and a pair of other ribs on opposite sides of said central rib in spaced relation thereto, said strip being provided with a deep longitudinal groove in its top c face for providing thinv edge portions in spaced relation to each other.

BENJAMIN I). BLA SKI. 

